Company academic to use centre for deep sleeps (5)
I believe the answer is:
comas
'deep sleeps' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'company academic to use centre' is the wordplay.
'company' becomes 'co' (abbreviation).
'academic' becomes 'ma'.
'to' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'centre' says to take the centre.
The central letter of 'use' is 's'.
'co'+'ma'+'s'='COMAS'
'for' is the link.
(Other definitions for comas that I've seen before include "States of deep unconsciousness" , "State of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness" .)